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B. W. 8: SJG. WOOLLEY.

GAR COUPLING.

m WW UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

EDNVARD WV. XVOOLLEY AND STARE C. WOOLLEY, OE JERSEY CITY, N. J.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,470, dated July 7,3.885.

Application filed January 6, 1855. 1X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD W. Woon 'LEY, of Jersey City, in the countyof Hudson and State of New Jersey, and STARR G. Noon- LEY, of JerseyCity, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full and eXact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

Our invention relates to certain improvements upon the car-couplingdescribed in our Patent No. 256,186, dated April 11, 18S2;and itconsists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of thebell-crank lever, the couplingpin, the means for uncoupling the carsfrom either the top or sides, andalocking device for holding thecoupling-pin elevated, 1 all as more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

For the better understanding of our inven t-ion in detail, attention isinvited to the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents avertical central section showing the end of the car to which it isattached; Fig. 2, a top view of one of the brackets used as a guide forthe vertical uncoupling-rod; Fig. 3, a view in detail of the rod usedfor uncoupling at the sides of the car, combined with the lockingdevice; Fig. 4, a plan view of the draw-head, bell-crank lever, andcoupling-pin; Fig. 5, a view in detail of the coupling-pin; Fig. 6, aside view of the coupling-pin and bell-crank lever; Fig. 7, a front viewof the coupling-pin in elevation; Fig. 8, a transverse section of thesame on line mo: of Fig. 7; Fig. 9, a side elevation of the bell-cranklever constructed in accordance with our present invention, and Fig. 10a plan view of the same.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts.

Before proceeding with the description of the construction of ourimprovements in detail, and with reference to the drawings, it may be ofsome importance to state that we find that in using the bell-cranklever, by means of which the coupling-pin is elevated when the linkenters the draw-head, it is necessary to pivot the bcll'orank lever inthe draw-head as near the front as possible, so that alink of theordinary length can be used; and we also find that it is important tohave the lower end of the bell-crank lever pass under the couplingpin insuch a way (when it is elevated)thatit will be impossible for the linkto force itself between the engaging ends of the lever and coupling-pin.In order to accomplish these results with success, it is essential tohave the top of the draw-head provided in front of the coupling-pin witha slot communicating with the opening for the pin, which opening shouldbe made square on each side of this slot, at its point of connectionwith said opening, and this arrangement makes it important to have thefront side of the coupling-pin made flat,in order that it cannot bedrawn into this slot in the draw'head, but that it may have a squarebearing in the drawhead on each side of this slot, which is made toreceive the hell'orank lever. It is next deemed essential to provide thelower end of the coupling-pin with a slot to receive the hookshaped endof the bellcrank lever, so that said end shall be protected, to therebymake it impossible for the link to force itself between the engagingends of the lever and coupling-pin. In these particular features lie thenovelty of our invention, together with other details of construction,and with the means which enable the brakeman to uncouple the cars fromeither side or from the top and at the same timelocl; the coupling, sothat they will not couple unless it is otherwise desired.

In the drawings, A denotes the end of an ordinary freight-car; B, thedraw'head, and G the bell-crank lever, which is pivoted to the drawheadat D and passes down through a slot, a, made in the top of thedraw-head. This slot a communicates at its rear end with the verticalopening or socket b for the couplingpin E, which opening or socket ismadesquare upon each side of the point of connection with the slot a;and the coupling-pin, which has vertical movement in this opening orsocket b, is made flat upon its front side to conform with the squareportion of its socket I), while its back is preferably made round toconform to the shape of that portion of the link F which bears againstit when the cars are in motion.

The coupling-pin E has preferably a flange or head, P, which, when thepin is down,

rests upon the top of the draw-head to'support the pin, instead of thepin depending upon the bell-crank lever, as in our patent hereinbeforereferred to.

The bell-crank lever O, which has vibratory movement in the slot a,consists of a long curved upper arm and a short lower arm, which isprovided on its end with a hook, c, which (when the link enters thedraw-head and forces back the lower arm of the bellcrank lever) passesunder and into a curved slot, d, cut in the lower end of thecouplingpin, and raises the latter. These features of construction inthe lever and coupling-pin not only prevent the link from forcing itselfbetween their engaging ends, but prevent any pressure or tension uponthe lower arm of the lever in case of accidental failure of the couplingto work or carelessness of the op erator. v

For convenience we have illustrated the lever as passing through a slotin the upper end of the coupling-pin, as in our former patenthereinbefore mentioned; but while this mode of connection is simple andeffective, we find it better and more advantageous to connect theseelements by the means illustrated in Figs. 9 and 1.0. As shown in thesefigures, the bell-crank lever is cut out at R, and is provided with aremovable side piece, S,which is attached by means of keys T or otherequivalent devices. The head of the coupling-pin passes up and ispivoted between the side piece, S, and the lever proper. This connection adapts the coupling-pin to be detached from the bell-crank leverwithout removing the latter from its pivot.

The rear end, G, of the bell-crank lever has free play in a slot, 0,made in the top of the draw-head, behind the coupling-pin, and to thisend of the lever is attached a chain or rope, H, which is again attachedat its upper end to a vertical rod, J, and below this attachment thesaid chain or rope connects with an arm, K, of the uncoupling-rod I,which is mounted in journals ff, secured to the end of the car. This rodI also passes through a convex locking-plate, M, provided with a slot,L, having a rightangle branch, L, and secured to the end of the carintermediate the journals 7 f, as shown in Fig. 3. The rod I, thusmounted,

- projects beyond the sides of the car, and has at each end a convenienthandle for operating the same. hen said rod is turned. so as to elevatethe arm K, the rear end of the bellcrank lever O is raised and its innerend is brought under the coupling-pin, which is The. rod J is held in avertical position, and is guided by brackets Q, secured to the end ofthe car, as in Fig. 1.

Instead of the locking-plate M the journals f f may be recessed, and therod I locked by a protuberance on its outside or instead of this meansthe rod I may have a recessed collar, whereby the rod could be locked bya protuberance (on the journals f f) engaging with the recessed collar.

The cars are coupled automatically by the link, which, in entering thedraw-head, forces back the lower arm of the bell-crank lever, whichelevates. the pin and allows the link to pass beyond where it cannot bewithdrawn, as it is caught by the pin, which falls down to place as soonas the link passes beyond its vertical path.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Lettcrs Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupler, the combination of a coupling-pin having a slottedlower end, and a bell-crank lever, operating in the manner substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a coupling-pin and a bell-cranklever having a removable side piece, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of the coupling-pin having a curvedslot in its lower end and the bell-crank lever having a hook shapedinner end and pivoted, substantially as described, and for the purposeset forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of the bell-crank lever O and thecoupling-pin E, provided with flange or head 1? below the lever-slot,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a carcoupler, the combination of the couplingpin, the bell-cranklever, the chain or rope H, the rod I, provided with a projection, and arecessed or slotted locking-plate, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination of the slotted draw-head B,provided with socket I), made square on one side, the coupling-pin E,having a flat front, and the bell-crank lever O, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination of the coupling-pin E, and thebell-crank lever 0, provided with cut-out R, and the removable sidepiece, S, substantially as described.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination of the bell-crank lever G, thecoupling-pin E, the chain 'or rope H, red I, with its arm K, hooked rodJ, and the slotted locking-plate lVI, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

IIO

EDXVARD WV. WOOLLEY. STARR O. XVOOLLEY.

Witnesses:

r \V. G. MoTAvrsH, O. \V. K. PHIPrs.

